Tok-Essay-Work-Book-Courseleap-2019 (New)

DECODING THE TOK ESSAY WORKBOOK
WRITING THE TOK ESSAY
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Chrisann Almeida-Creado 2018
Sources: http://www.dirk-solies.de/TOK/how%20to%20write%20a%20ToK%20essay%20cambridge.pdf
https://www.tokresource.org/the-final-essay/
Adapted with changes by Chrisann Creado 2017; From Chris Hunter’s document using source : Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic
Writing. New York: Norton, 2010.
Name: YOUR CHOSEN TOK Title
This graphic organizer is designed to help you unpack the following TOK title and better address the TOK essay.
Title No. _____ (paste title here)
Action Term/Command Identify Key Words and Define Key/Ambiguous Words Assumptions in the Title
term Phrases (use synomyms)
Chosen AOKs/WOKs Concepts/ examples from Rewrite the Title in your own words Identify possible subsidiary
AOKS/ KF linked to this title knowledge questions
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The 8 Stages of ToK Essay Writing
1.Picking a topic
2.Identifying knowledge claims
3.Identifying knowledge issues
4.Developing analysis
5.Choosing appropriate examples
6.Applying appropriate structure
7.Writing the essay
8.Refining and reflection
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RESEARCH FOCUS : When researching…..

* You might find it useful to first think which Areas of Knowledge you are going to write about, then think of examples in
those Areas that illustrate your points, and then consider which Ways of Knowing were used to learn those specific AOK
examples. (if at all)
* Don’t just give examples — tell stories with a beginning, middle and end.
* Examples must not be hypothetical, but real life instances from the chosen AOKS
* What is the first Area of Knowledge you will be exploring (Math, History, Arts, Human Sciences, Natural Sciences, Ethics, Religious
Knowledge Systems, Indigenous Knowledge Systems)
* What are the TOK concepts that you have learned through the textbook and through class discussion that you will be referring to
in order to support your claim related to this Area of Knowledge? (NOTE: Theories from philosophy and the underpinnings of
the knowledge framework will appear here)
* What are the examples/evidences from the TOK textbook and from your other knowledge (including personal examples) that you
will be using to support that claim? (NOTE: THIS MIGHT BE A SEPARATE PARAGRAPH)
* What is a counter-claim to this? In other words, what might others who would not necessarily agree with this say? What would
your response to this conflict be? (NOTE: THIS MIGHT BE A SEPARATE PARAGRAPH)
Gathering Evidence & tracking your Sources

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Source title URL/location Where will you use Why is this Supports Refutes the Is this enough evidence to prove
it? evidence The claim claim this particular part of your
(how does it link to relevant? argument? Or do you need
the title) more evidence?
Pg 350 Notes of ethics for Need to supports Need to put more examples
e.g. TOK Text intro explain ethics NA
Dumbrowski theories
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TRACKING TOK EXAMPLES
Write…Real Life Situation/ Example Description
Write…Link to chosen AOK
Write…Link To Knowledge Framework
EXPERTS METHODOLOGY SCOPE APPLICATION
TERMINOLOGY CONCEPTS HISTORICAL PERSONAL &

DEVELOPMENT SHARED
KNOWLEDGE
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Adapted with changes by Chrisann Creado 2017; From Chris Hunter’s document using source : Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein.
They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: Norton, 2010.
Make A Claim linking the prompt Analysis: This evidence supports my

to the title: (hint tell your examiner argument because . . .
why you have included this
Analysis statements include:
example)
• This evidence shows that . . .
• Therefore . . .
Explain The example : • These examples demonstrate . . .
• Because _____________, then _______________.
• This evidence is an example of . . .
Evaluation & Implication of Evidence (So what? In terms of the title)

• Clearly, this suggests that . . .
• This reveals that . . .
 In light of the evidence provided…
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DEVELOPMENT SHARED
KNOWLEDGE
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example)
• Therefore . . .
• Because _____________, then _______________.

4

DEVELOPMENT SHARED
KNOWLEDGE
5

example)
• Therefore . . .
• Because _____________, then _______________.

6

DEVELOPMENT SHARED
KNOWLEDGE
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example)
• Therefore . . .
• Because _____________, then _______________.

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WRITING FOCUS: When writing …..
Introduction
● Follows the pattern of the grid above, unpacking the title including: Definitions of important terms(not dictionary only),
rephrasing the title in your own words, identifying assumptions and clarifying how
● Sets the parameters of the essay (what you will cover / wonʼt cover/ in what context)
● Clearly sets out the main knowledge questions (through rephrasing the title)
* What is your topic sentence and how does it connect to your thesis statement/claim?
* How have you connected your last sentence to your thesis statement/claim?
Body paragraphs
● • Begins with an aspect of the Knowledge question identified in introduction / makes a claim situated in ONE AOK/WOK
● • Explores the claim via real life examples from the relevant AOK/(WOK- only if required by the title)
● • Includes Analysis & discussion and evaluation of the example in relation to the AOK/WOK(WOK- only if required by the
title)
Body paragraphs : The Counter Argument

Your TOK essay should not just consist of arguments backed up by evidence: you must also consider counter-arguments.
● Begins with an aspect of the Knowledge question / claim addressed in the preceding paragraph and offer the opinion of
experts who disagree with your initial claim (the other side/ different perspective/differing point of view)
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● What might others who would not necessarily agree with this say? What would your response to this conflict be?
● Explores the claim via real life examples from the relevant AOK/WOK
● Includes Analysis & discussion and evaluation of the example in relation to the AOK/WOK
• Each paragraph does 1 aspect i.e: knowledge claims / issues, counter-claims, examples, analysis & implications
Once you have given a counter-argument, you will need to decide how it affects your original argument. There are two main types of
response you can make:
1 Refutation :You reject the counter-argument by showing that it is mistaken or unlikely or unimportant.
2 Concession: You allow that there is some truth in the counter-argument and qualify your original argument to take account of it.
Draw connections to the TOK lexicon:
LIST OF ESSENTIAL TOK TERMS

Knowledge Questions , Shared & Personal Knowledge
Ways of Knowing:
Language, Sense perception, Reason, Emotion, Imagination, Faith, Intuition, Memory
Areas of Knowledge:
Natural Sciences, History, Mathematics, Human Sciences, The Arts, Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Ethics, Religious Knowledge Systems
Areas of Knowledge Framework:

Scope/Applications
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Concepts/Language
Methodology
Historical development
Implications and Conclusions

Implications involve applying a conclusion to another area of knowledge:
“what if we apply our conclusion to another area of knowledge? Does the conclusion still hold true”
Evaluated implications are investigating the implications & asking questions such as:
• Is the result still valid?
• How justified are our conclusions?
• Is it possible to make the same conclusion if we apply this to another area?
“They Say, I Say” Templates – For the TOK/EE essay
Successful academic writing involves presenting both your sources’ ideas and your own ideas fairly and effectively to your readers.
According to Graff and Birkenstein, to do so, you should engage in “a conversation about ideas” in which you react critically to your
sources.
Graff and Birkenstein’s templates may help you to have this conversation in a reader-friendly fashion, so that your thesis, supporting
evidence, opposing evidence, and conclusion are clear. While you don’t want to adopt these templates mindlessly, the templates do provide
sensible language for engaging in academic conversations, and we all benefit from adopting good language for our own purposes. Here are a
few of the examples that I have adapted from their text. Remember, these forms still require proper citations so readers know who “they”
are.
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Introducing standard views:
● Americans/Indians/People today tend to believe that__________

● Conventional wisdom claims that__________
● My whole life I have heard people say that__________.
Capturing authorial action (e.g., to write a summary):
● X acknowledges that _________________

● X agreed that _________________
● X argues that_________________
● X complains that _________________
● X demonstrates that _________________
● X emphasizes that _________________.
Introducing quotations:
● X insists,“__________.”
● As the prominent philosopher X puts it,“__________.” 
● According to X,“__________.”
● In her book, Book Title ,X maintains that“__________.” 
● X complicates matters further when he writes that“__________.”
Explaining quotations:
● Basically, X is saying__________.
● In other words, X believes__________.
Making what “they say” into something you say:
● I have always believed that__________. 

● When I was a child, I used to think that__________.
Introducing something implied or assumed:
• Although X does not say so directly, s/he apparently assumes that __________ .  
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• While they rarely admit as much, __________ often take for granted that ______________
 Introducing COUNTER CLAIMS as an ongoing debate:  
● On the one hand, X argues__________. On the other hand, Y claims__________. My own view is __________
● In a long-accepted argument, X argues __________, but Y and others disagree because __________. In fact, Y’s argument that
__________  is now supported by new research showing that __________
● In recent discussions of __________, a controversial issue has been whether __________ On the one hand, some argue that __________.
 On the other hand, however, others argue that __________. My own view is __________.  
● As I suggested earlier, defenders of ___________ can’t have it both ways. Their assertion that ____________ is contradicted by their
claim that_____________.
Introducing COUNTER CLAIMS by Disagreeing, with reasons:
● I think that X is mistaken because s/he overlooks__________.

● I disagree with X’s view that __________ because, as recent research has shown,__________.
● X’s claim that __________rests upon the questionable assumption hat__________.
Agreeing, with a difference:
• X is surely right about __________ because, as he/she may not be aware, recent studies have shown that ___________.  
• X’s theory of __________ is extremely useful because it sheds insight on the difficult problem of __________
• I agree that __________ a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe __________ .  
Agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously:  
• Although I agree with X to a point, I cannot accept his/her overall conclusion that __________ because __________ .  
• Although I disagree with much of what X says, I fully endorse his/her final conclusion that __________ .  
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• Though I concede that __________ I still insist that __________ .  
• X is right that __________ but she seems to be on more dubious ground when she states __________ .
 Signaling who is saying what:  
• X argues __________.  
• My own view, however, is that __________.  
• Yet a careful analysis of the data reveals __________.  
INTRODUCING YOUR POINT OF VIEW (e.g. Embedding voice markers):  
• X overlooks what I consider an important point about __________.  
• I wholeheartedly endorse what X calls __________.  
• My discussion of X is in fact addressing the larger matter of __________.  
• These conclusions will have significant applications in __________ as well as in __________.  
Making concessions while still standing your ground:  
• Although I grant that __________, I still maintain that __________.  
• While __________ is __________, it does not necessarily follow that __________.
 Indicating who cares:  
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● Researchers have long assumed that __________ .
● For instance, one eminent sociologist, __________ , long argued that __________. However, new research has clearly demonstrated
otherwise; in fact, __________.
Establishing why your claims matter:
• X matters because __________.  
• These conclusions have significant implications for __________ as well as for __________.  
AUTHENTICITY. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. REFERENCES

Essays must be you own work. If there is doubt, authenticity will be checked by a discussion with you about the content of the essay
submitted and a scrutiny of one or more of the following:
• Your initial proposal and outline
• Your references and bibliography for the essay, where appropriate
• Your style of the writing, including samples of work from other subjects which may reveal obvious discrepancies.
*You will be required to sign a written declaration when submitting the essay, to confirm that it is your own work
Students are expected to acknowledge fully and in detail the work, thoughts or ideas of another person if incorporated in work
submitted for assessment, and to ensure that their own work is never given to another student, either in the form of hard
copy or by electronic means, knowing that it might be submitted for assessment as the work of that other student.
Factual claims that may be considered common knowledge (for example, “The second world war ended in 1945”) do not need to be
referenced. However, what one person thinks of as common knowledge, within a particular culture, may be unfamiliar to someone
else, for example, an assessor in a different part of the world. If in doubt, give an authoritative source for the claim
The TOK essay is not a research paper but, if specific sources are used, they must be acknowledged in a bibliography. The
bibliography should include only those works (such as books, journals, magazines and online sources) consulted by the student.
As appropriate, the bibliography should specify:
• Author(s), title, date and place of publication
• The name of the publisher or URL (http://....)
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• The date when the web page was accessed, adhering to one standard method of listing sources.
DEVELOPING ANALYSIS
Analysis is what you do with your knowledge issues and knowledge claims throughout your essay.
What are knowledge claims?
Knowledge claims are something that we think that we know, ie: believe to be true and want to evaluate to determine the level of
validity
You should be able to pick out the following issues with knowledge claims in order to analyse: -
● Limitations
● Assumptions
● Bias
● Context
● Alternative cultural & linguistic perspectives
● Problems with justification or proof
● Different definitions
● Problems of logic
● Alternative sides to an issue
● Differences in perception
● Relational questions
● Philosophies or theories
Things to avoid in your analysis:
● Making assumptions & assertions eg: Some people say that...

● Experts say that.....
● Unreferenced claims (anything other than common knowledge or personal experience)
● Making token cross cultural examples
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SELF-REVIEW QUESTION LIST FOR WRITING A TOK ESSAY (check all that apply, to be handed in along wih the 1st draft)
The assessment of the TOK essay is done on the basis of two aspects:
(1) understanding knowledge questions and (2) quality of analysis of knowledge questions.
Below you can see a question list. These questions may help you to write TOK essays. The questions are modified from TOK
essay assessment criteria. If you can answer these questions with ease while writing your TOK essay, you will most probably
succeed in it.
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● Does my essay demonstrate understanding of the prescribed title?
● Have I defined and outlined the important terms and phrases at the start?
● Have I included knowledge questions that are relevant to the title?
● Does my essay demonstrate an awareness of the connections between knowledge questions, my chosen AOKs and
WOKs?
● Are my claims based in the AOKs backed up with evidence via examples?
● Do I show an awareness of my own perspective as a knower in relation to other perspectives, such as those that may
arise, for example, from academic and philosophical traditions, culture or position in society (gender, age, and so on)?
● What is the quality of my inquiry into knowledge questions (links to AOKs/WOKs/ KF)?
● Are my main points in the essay justified (evidence + example+ explanation)?
● Have I included varied and effective examples?
● Are my arguments coherent and compelling?
● Have I considered any counterclaims?
● Are my implications and underlying assumptions of the essay’s argument identified?
● Are my arguments effectively evaluated?
● Have I used standard formatting: 12pt, regular font
● Is my word count above 1500 but below 1600 words
● Have I included a works cited section or bibliography?
● Have I written in accessible and understandable language?
Remember, analysis of knowledge questions that are not relevant to the

prescribed title will not be assessed.
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TKPPF notes
Meeting 1
Meeting 2
Meeting 3
12

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DECODING THE TOK ESSAY WORKBOOK

WRITING THE TOK ESSAY

Name: YOUR CHOSEN TOK Title

Title No. _____ (paste title here)

The 8 Stages of ToK Essay Writing

2.Identifying knowledge claims

3.Identifying knowledge issues

5.Choosing appropriate examples

6.Applying appropriate structure

7.Writing the essay

8.Refining and reflection

RESEARCH FOCUS : When researching…..

Gathering Evidence & tracking your Sources

Write…Real Life Situation/ Example Description

Write…Link to chosen AOK

Write…Link To Knowledge Framework

EXPERTS METHODOLOGY SCOPE APPLICATION

TERMINOLOGY CONCEPTS HISTORICAL PERSONAL &

Make A Claim linking the prompt Analysis: This evidence supports my

Explain The example : • These examples demonstrate . . .

• Because _____________, then _______________.

• This evidence is an example of . . .

Evaluation & Implication of Evidence (So what? In terms of the title)

• This reveals that . . .

 In light of the evidence provided…

Write…Real Life Situation/ Example Description

Write…Link to chosen AOK

Write…Link To Knowledge Framework

EXPERTS METHODOLOGY SCOPE APPLICATION

TERMINOLOGY CONCEPTS HISTORICAL PERSONAL &

Make A Claim linking the prompt Analysis: This evidence supports my

Explain The example : • These examples demonstrate . . .

• Because _____________, then _______________.

• This evidence is an example of . . .

Evaluation & Implication of Evidence (So what? In terms of the title)

• This reveals that . . .

 In light of the evidence provided…

Write…Real Life Situation/ Example Description

Write…Link to chosen AOK

Write…Link To Knowledge Framework

EXPERTS METHODOLOGY SCOPE APPLICATION

TERMINOLOGY CONCEPTS HISTORICAL PERSONAL &

Make A Claim linking the prompt Analysis: This evidence supports my

Explain The example : • These examples demonstrate . . .

• Because _____________, then _______________.

• This evidence is an example of . . .

Evaluation & Implication of Evidence (So what? In terms of the title)

• This reveals that . . .

 In light of the evidence provided…

Write…Real Life Situation/ Example Description

Write…Link to chosen AOK

Write…Link To Knowledge Framework

EXPERTS METHODOLOGY SCOPE APPLICATION

TERMINOLOGY CONCEPTS HISTORICAL PERSONAL &

Make A Claim linking the prompt Analysis: This evidence supports my

Explain The example : • These examples demonstrate . . .

• Because _____________, then _______________.

• This evidence is an example of . . .

Evaluation & Implication of Evidence (So what? In terms of the title)

• This reveals that . . .

 In light of the evidence provided…

Body paragraphs : The Counter Argument

LIST OF ESSENTIAL TOK TERMS

• Because _, then ___.

• Because _, then ___.

• Because _, then ___.

• Because _, then ___.

● I have always believed that__________. 

 Introducing COUNTER CLAIMS as an ongoing debate:  

Agreeing and disagreeing simultaneously:  

 Signaling who is saying what:  

• My own view, however, is that __________.  

• Yet a careful analysis of the data reveals __________.  

INTRODUCING YOUR POINT OF VIEW (e.g. Embedding voice markers):  

• X overlooks what I consider an important point about __________.  

• I wholeheartedly endorse what X calls __________.  

• My discussion of X is in fact addressing the larger matter of __________.  

• These conclusions will have significant applications in as well as in .  

Making concessions while still standing your ground:  

• Although I grant that , I still maintain that .  

• While is , it does not necessarily follow that __.

 Indicating who cares:  

• X matters because __________.  